Eels stun Bulldogs after having spirit and desire publicly questioned

By Michael Doyle

Parramatta scored six tries to claim an upset win over Canterbury-Bankstown. (AAP: Mark Evans)

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One week after their coach publicly questioned their spirit and desire, Parramatta has produced a boilover to beat the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.

One week removed from a humiliating 52-10 loss at home to the Gold Coast Titans, the Eels ran in six tries and showed determination in defence to secure a 38-20 win at Western Sydney Stadium.

The Eels had the league's worst defence after six rounds, conceding an average of 38 points per game. 

But it was defence that forced the Bulldogs into several costly errors, laying the platform for the Eels to claim the 18-point win. 

"The turnaround came through our defence and came through our attitude, and our desire to want to go to the contest," Eels coach Jason Ryles said.

"The players did a great job today and [I] couldn't be more proud."

The Eels have one of the worst casualty wards in the NRL, with five-eighth Jonah Pezet, fullback Isaiah Iongi and outside backs Sean Russell and Jorand Samrani all unavailable on Sunday. 

Meanwhile, Bailey Simonsson, J'maine Hopgood and Matt Doorey are all out for the season.

The spirit and desire of Parramatta's inexperienced team was publicly questioned last week by Ryles.

But it was those very traits that the second-year head coach was praising after Sunday's win. 

"What's been important is that we focus on what we can control. All we can control is how we train and how we prepare every day. That's what we've focused on really hard," Ryles said.

"We got some really good lessons last week, and we'll get some more this week as well.

"But the attitude to want to do the little things we, at an intensity that's at NRL level, was what got us a win today."

Earlier on Sunday, the Sydney Roosters produced a brilliant second half to overrun the Newcastle Knights. 

Versatile Newcastle back Fletcher Hunt scored a first-half hat-trick to give the Knights a 24-12 half-time lead at the Sydney Football Stadium.

But the Roosters, led by captain James Tedesco, scored 26 unanswered points in the second half to claim the 38-24 win.